Upstream pollution control by water utilities in Sweden: incentives and challenges

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed to handle many harmful substances that are present in the wastewater. The substances can also be transferred to the sewage sludge, which can make it unsuitable as a fertiliser. To alleviate these problems, Sweden has a practice called upstream work (uppströmsarbete) that aims to prevent harmful substances from entering the wastewater via efforts to control the pollution closer to the source. Upstream work has produced positive results in terms of reduced pollution in water and sludge and is seen as an important practice by both practicians and policymakers. In this paper, we investigate the incentives and challenges for upstream work as experienced by practitioners at municipal water utilities. The results show that there are two types of incentives: one related to practical problems and the other related to a perceived responsibility for the wastewater system and for the environment. The challenges were primarily related to an insufficient organisational structure for upstream work, manifested in unclear responsibilities, lack of prioritisation, and insufficient resources. The findings can be used to expand and initiate pollution control upstream of the WWTP as part of the urban water management, as well as decision support for policymakers.